History

The CEV was founded in 1996 by Mark Stoermer as an organization to help the University of Washington's (UW) various ocean and earth science projects visualize environmental datasets. Upon hiring a talented graphics artist with scientific data rendering experience, CEV quickly developed a top-rate reputation with illustrations receiving accolades upon inclusion in grants, academic papers, magazines, and promotional materials. Mastery of data manipulation software and graphic arts production software provided a steady stream of work since inception and the group expanded to three members during the month of June 1997. CEV rapidly gained experience as a Web-enabling organization committed to providing on-line access to UW materials that promote informal science education. During 1998 and 1999, CEV generated three on-line tools for earth science information exploration: The CEV Learning Center Content Catalog, Active Pages, and On-Line Presenter. Together, the three resources provided an insightful vision of a future where science researchers could use the Web to promote their ideas, beliefs and results.

CEV on-line content generation has always utilized all the popular emerging Web-presentation formats for images, illustrations, and interactive applications for science promotion. CEV inherited Java 3D expertise from working closely with the UW Human Interface Technology Laboratory in developing Web-enabled three-dimensional, collaborative, multi-user virtual environments that informally teach satellite remote sensing, ocean bottom mapping, and buoy profiling concepts to those who venture within an exciting new cyberspace. In October 1999 and October 2000, CEV tested the Virtual Big Beef Creek application in a Masters class introducing remote sensing theory to a variety of specialists. Feedback from such opportunities continues to guide all application development.

In 1999, CEV began its Undergraduate Research Assistance Program, expanding the CEV office to five employees by offering positions to a Computer Science student to help build an architecture for a graphical earth science visualization engine, and to an Industrial Engineering student to help create a better Web-enablement process for earth science data presentation. Both students thrived throughout their undergraduate degree study and became full-time CEV personnel upon completion of their degrees. As a result of the undergraduate student involvement track record, CEV continues to offer positions to undergraduate students as long as funding and project opportunities exist.

During 2000, CEV added its sixth full-time employee to professionalize the Web site production process. As a result, CEV has become an often-mentioned resource for developing, managing, and administrating Web sites for ocean and earth science organizations. In 2000, CEV revised both the PRISM and NEPTUNE project Web sites. In 2002, CEV proudly rolled-out the Lost City Cruise and revised School of Oceanography and College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences Web sites. During 2004, CEV returned focus on its own Web site to provide a portal site for all CEV-related work interests.

Beginning in 2002, CEV applied its expertise gained from using the Java 3D API to the goal of creating its own earth science visualization graphics engine. A second Computer Science student intern joined us to kick-start development of a C++ library that could interface with the OpenGL graphics API directly. Named 'blue', the engine has been put to use in a 3-D science visualization animation tool, a 3-D presentation tool, and a multi-user platform using the Reflector server made popular by the University of Illinois-Chicago's Electronic Visualization Laboratory.

CEV enjoys participating in events where earth science informal education methods are presented and discussed. CEV has sent a representative to network with visualization colleagues at both the Web 3D Symposium (1997 and 2002) and the SIGGRAPH computer graphics conference (1999, 2002, 2002, and 2004). CEV ran a booth promoting ocean science education at ThinkQuest Live 2003 in Seattle. CEV provided an ocean sciences visualization session via satellite at the 2003 New Zealand Technology Awards and often provides workshops and demonstrations at the annual Virtual Worlds Consortium meeting in Seattle. In early 2004, CEV participated in the Virtual Worlds Consortium meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand by demonstrating the GeoWall configuration that offers binocular stereo display of earth science data.